LARRY KRAMER, San Juan Capistrano
I just had a wonderful vacation in Yellowstone Park. What an amazing place. It is difficult to underestimate the foresight shown by officials in the government who established our first national park.
What I also found amazing is how members of the National Park Service are concerned about the effects of climate change on this beautiful park. The following are the park service’s words, not mine:
The park has fewer days of those glittering, silent winter vistas. Wolves have few days of easy hunting for ungulates in the deep snow. Bear hibernation cycles have altered. Spring comes earlier and snow melts out of the mountains more quickly. In summer, the rivers run slower and the water is warmer. Fire season is longer and fires will become more frequent and intense. Forest insect pests have decimated tree populations. In the future, grizzly bears may have less of their most nutritious foods such as white bark pine nuts and army cutworm moths.
However, I also found the National Park Service is taking positive action by adopting sustainability measures to improve energy efficiency, install renewable energy systems and conserve water.
comments (0)